New Westminster ranks 4th out of 58 communities across the province in the newly released child care access rankings shared by the $10aDay Child Care Campaign, an initiative of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. The rankings are based on the number of child care spaces for children aged 0 - Grade 7.

“We have worked hard to gain 1200 additional child care spaces over the last decade for New Westminster’s young families. There is more to do to achieve the accessible and affordable child care spaces needed in every neighbourhood,” said Community First City Councillor Tasha Henderson. “We will continue to use the tools we have available at the city to support the development of additional spaces while advocating for more provincial dollars to reach the goal of universal childcare access.”

Community First City Councillors have supported the development of non-profit childcare spaces through development applications, brought forward a motion to allow for larger childcare centres by right in residential areas across the city, and have been advocating for commercial rent regulation, which impacts the overhead costs for childcare centres in commercial buildings. They will continue to champion the work of childcare advocates, reduce zoning barriers where possible, and strengthen partnerships with provincial decision-makers to secure sustainable and critical childcare investments.
Community First School Trustees have also championed child care at the school district, with a mix of district-run and non-profit child care delivered in every elementary school. “Working families need access to more school-aged care, and we continue to look for ways to increase spaces on school grounds within a challenging situation for school space,” said Trustee Maya Russell.
Despite this momentum in New Westminster, the broader $10-a-day landscape shows that only a small fraction of children in BC currently benefit from fully capped $10 daily childcare, with many regions still facing long waitlists and limited availability.

Media Contact
Mayor Patrick Johnstone
[email protected] / 604 527 4522